Confronting the government for the sake of ideals, although you can become a civilian hero, but ...... He also lost the opportunity to gain international influence, and it may be more in line with Downing's ideals to be in league with the British Empire government, and idealism also needs the support of reality, so in the end, Downing decided to sell his soul and sell the telegraph company for a good price.

He had been thinking about how much he would sell, or compare it to the London sewers, a project that had not yet begun, and Parliament had to pay £3 million after years of bickering, during which time London was stinking and cholera was epidemic several times.

I'm coming, 10 Downing Street.

Lord Russell was a treacherous and arrogant old man, and Downing, who had long heard the strings and knew what he was going to say, so, after some pleasantries, he deliberately sighed, saying that the American invention at the exposition really amazed him, a man named Matthew? Brady's photographer said that the population of the United States is more than 21 million, and the annual growth rate is more than 30%, while the whole of England is only 15 million, the growth is slow, and the United States has already surpassed England to become the world's largest economic power, and I am considering whether to "return" to the United States to develop.

Russell was shocked, he was still playing the idea of the British Telegraph Company, this guy actually came out like this, he said displeased and disdainful: "There are too many people? Did you miscalculate? Will the British Empire, which is rich all over the world, including India, Canada, Australia, and South Africa, have a smaller population than the United States? The economy is even more incomparable, you have not worked in the government department, probably do not know that the UK's domestic industrial output accounts for 60% of the world's total industrial output! Hmph, the Americans are doing well, but they are still far from us. ”

Tang Ning was surprised: "60% so much? …… Okay, but the colonies are not comparable to the ** countries, I saw in India that many places are starving, the economy is very poor, it is because a large number of raw materials are preferentially exported to the British mainland, and what is even more terrible is ...... This, though the Viceroy of India is a good friend of mine, I would say that the 'loss of power without heirs' is so wicked that it touches the interests of the British partners, the local nobles of India, and the Indians have outnumbered the British, I am afraid...... If this continues, there will be chaos. Australia, Canada...... Bao Qi will become the second or third America one day, the sky is high and the queen is far away, and anything can happen. And the United States has just won the Mexican-American War, and it has added another California, becoming a superpower with the Atlantic Ocean to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west, and its future is greatly ......."

Russell was displeased: "What do you mean by such unhesitant praise of the United States?" Don't you recognize the glory of being a British citizen? ”

At least knocked out the arrogance of the prime minister, Tang Ning laughed and said: "It's not interesting, in fact, I'm quite entangled, you see, my name is Tang Ning?" Windsor, that's why my father was in Boston and he was nostalgic for his homeland. ”

Russell hypocritically inquired about Downing's life in Boston, ignoring his alma mater, MIT, which was not yet established at the moment, and was probably also an unknown small school.

Finally, Russell got back to business: "I discussed with the officers for a while, and I felt that the wireless telegraphy of the British Telegraph Company had revolutionized the command and intelligence system of the Royal Army, and in the same way, it would not be long before the military of various countries would notice this, so the cabinet ministers all thought that it was necessary to legislate to regulate the impact of this invention on national defense, and initially build a nationalization of the British Telegraph Company, what do you think?" ”

Tang Ning said indifferently: "The iron ship cannon is the key to the war, is it so exaggerated that a small wireless telegraph can be used to nationalize?" I also want to do business in France, the Netherlands, Prussia, Austria, Spain, Russia, ......"

Russell: "...... The generals and ministers all think that wireless telegraphy has a lot to do, so you don't have to pretend, make a price, isn't it the glory of every British citizen to help the royal army? ”

Downing: "This ...... As if yes, you're right, it's the glory of British citizenship, then I'm ...... Sold cheaply, 12 million pounds. ”

Russell was still secretly proud when he heard the front, but when he heard the 10 million...... I couldn't help but get angry again, and I forced my anger to say: "This is a bit of a mess, last year's military expenditure of the entire empire was only fifteen million pounds, show a little sincerity, Mr. Windsor." ”

Downing revealed his plan: "Remember what I said about the speed of light of 300,000 kilometers per second? In fact, wireless telegraphy also has a super application scenario - global navigation, the principle is to send a telegram to three known signals at the same time, and calculate the position of the departing reporter through the time difference between the time they receive the radio waves, I don't know if you have some understanding of navigation, navigation is now a very difficult job, and with our navigation telegraph, captains can sit back and relax. The annual fee for such a telegram is 120 pounds, and I have thought that 100,000 merchant ships using our company's services will cost us 12 million pounds a year, and of course, it will take a few years to achieve, and I am very confident, you say, how much should I bid to be a qualifying citizen of England in this case? ”

Russell sneered: "100,000 merchant ships to rent your telegraph? That's a wonderful idea, isn't it? "He doesn't care how much money you can make, the Prime Minister and First Chancellor of the Exchequer only knows that this $10 million plan is absolutely impossible to pass in Parliament.

Downing shrugged: "Or, I ask the United States, which is actively expanding its territory, Prussia and Austria, which are seeking to unify the German-speaking region, and Russia, which is looking for Haikou, how much they are willing to pay?" Of course, I don't want to commit treason, I just ask, and I don't know the bottom of my heart! ”

Russell: "...... Defeated to you...... More than 10 million is absolutely impossible, and it is impossible for any country to bid this price, you should know. ”

At this time, it was time to make concessions, and Tang Ning said: "I would like to ask you to talk to me about this business in a year or two, but since you seem to be more urgent now, then I also have a workaround - I make the government the largest shareholder, and I have the right of veto, and I still retain a part of the equity, so that I will not miss the benefits brought by the company's great development, and the government can actually control the general direction of the company, so that the key technology will not flow into other countries, so that the price will drop greatly, you see......"

"Oh......," Russell thought would be more reliable. So, let's do it, what is the current shareholding structure of your company? ”

Tang Ning told the truth: "I hold 50% of the shares in technology, and four other investors have contributed a total of 100,000 pounds. Are they Lionel? Mr. Rothschild, with 25 per cent, Mr. Rawlinson, a shareholder of the East India Company, with 10 per cent, Mr. Samuel of the Smith family, with 10 per cent, and the Viceroy of India, the Marquis of Dalhousie, with 5 per cent, are all here. ”

They are all famous guys in the City of London, and each of them is not easy to handle casually, and Lord Russell's arrogance has been extinguished a little.

After a moment's silence, the Prime Minister said, "So, if you buy 30%, you can become a major shareholder?" £4 million is still a little bit more, you see......"

Tang Ning looked bitter and said, "If I think about it again, who told me to be so patriotic?" ”

After "pondering," Downing offered his conspiracies: "You can buy 25 percent of the shares, which is the same as the number of shares I and Mr. Rothschild, which is certainly not enough for the government to have a golden veto, so that a communications management committee should be set up in the Cabinet, and the members of the committee will be recommended by the British Telegraph Company, and of course, the government will have the power to veto the list of members." This agency was necessary, because the frequency of the radio waves had to be regulated by the government, otherwise the signals would interfere with each other, and it would be a disaster for the British telegraph company. (http：/／.）。 That's £3 million. What do you think? ”

Sure enough, the price of 3 million gave the prime minister a little bottom in his heart, the imperial army costs 15 million a year, and now it costs 3 million to have an intelligence system that far exceeds that of other ** teams, how can it be considered that it is possible to impress the Congress, right? When the time comes, find a few famous generals to explain, and you will have a better chance. At this point, Lord Russell smiled narrowly: "This is barely feasible, I will discuss it with the ministers." ”

After making such a happy decision, Downing looked with interest at the British political center named "after him", and asked the prime minister to find someone to show him around.

The prime minister personally took him to visit, not because he valued this upcoming nouveau riche much, but because he was afraid that he would have any missing terms to ask him, so he took him around by the way, but in the eyes of others, it was amazing, the prime minister of the world's most powerful empire personally took a local tyrant to visit No. 10 Downing Street, which was rumored to frighten many people.

No. 10 Downing Street is the place where the Prime Minister works and lives, but the Prime Minister dislikes this place as too narrow, and the residential area has been empty here for many years, which is really a tyrannical thing.

When they exchanged views on the idea of the Communications Management Committee, the Prime Minister felt that he had no big problems, so when he saw off the guests, Downing saw a large open space opposite No. 10 and said: "It seems that there is still a large office space to be built here, why don't you give me a building, and I will pay for it, and when it is done, leave a few offices for the Communications Committee, how about it?" ”

The prime minister patted him on the shoulder: "Young man, you think so much!" When we finalize the 3 million business, Congress will not be able to deal with it. ”